Back in Black
by MiniMcGiggles
Summary: Zarkon has captured Voltron along with its Paladins. Now, they're forced to fight in the Arena against a foe called Champion. It's a fight that they can only see ending in blood with the Paladins death or their leaders'.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Zarkon has captured Voltron along with its Paladins. Now, they're forced to fight in the Arena against a foe called Champion. It's a fight that they can only see ending in blood with the Paladins death or their leaders'.

 **Warning:** Cussing and grammar/spelling errors if I didn't catch them.

 **Word Count:** 490

 **Disclaimer:** All hail the Netflix Gods that have brought us this beautiful show (I don't own thing)

 **A/N:** Usually my chapters are longer than this, however, this is the first chapter and so it's just setting everything up. The story should be about 5 to 7 chapter and I will try to update every one to two weeks (but school is starting so I don't know if I can commit to that). Anyway, this is my first Voltron story and I hope I did represent the cast well.

 **Note:** I understand Pidge knows about Shiro being the Champion, but I don't know if she told the rest of the team. So with the exception of Pidge, everyone else is wondering who this Champion fellow is…but that won't matter after this chapter.

 _ **Enjoy**_

* * *

The crowd booms with excitement, rattling Keith's eardrums and he felt Hunk press deeper into his back. The arena was dressed in a deep purple, one that once known to the paladins as the warm comfort of their leader, but now shook them to the core with dread. The aliens around them started to chant, their fists raising with an ambition to cheer on blood and death.

"Where are we?" Pidge muttered next to Keith. Her Bayard was clenched closely to her chest, the small arrow-shaped blade gave off a soft green glow in the sea of purple.

Lance took a step back, "And who is this Champion?"

"Whoever it is," Hunk muttered, "they seem to really like them."

Keith kept quiet, observing the scene that they had been placed in. The arena was much like the ones gladiators use to fight in, aside from the weird aliens cheering around them. Four large columns stood around them, seeming to be there for support or protection, Keith didn't know which. Beside him where Lance stood, a large door groaned with tension. And in front of him, high above the stands of bloodthirsty extraterrestrials, Zarkon sat. His fingers overlapped each other, his elbows sitting prominently upon his massive chair and he wore a smirk that seemed to strain his features in satisfaction.

"Uh," Lance called out, shaking Keith out of his thoughts. "I think something is coming out."

Keith and the rest of the Paladins turned towards the door. It's creaking began to turn into more of a moan as dust fell from the edges and the cheering grew.

"Paladins," a voice boomed over the stadium and Keith growled at the tone. "With the loss of your Lions and failing your mission for restoring piece, I have granted you a pain filled death."

Lance scoffed, "thanks."

"Your poor excuse for Paladins has continued far too long," Zarkon raised a glass as his smirk transformed into a cruel smile. "Furthermore, for punishment for taking our Champion away from us, he will have your blood on his hands."

With that, the door opened, groaning brashly and molding a long light into the field. Keith squinted against the light that poured out of the door and a figure stood. Chained around the neck, arms, and legs, two giants stood next to it. The figure was looking downward, it was dressed in a black uniform and around its chest was a dirty torn shirt. Hunk gasped, his eyes widening. Keith noticed a second after, his body going numb as he watched the creature emerge. Shiro looked up, his eyes bright yellow and as the chains fell away from his features, he sprouted a grin that twisted out a laugh.

Shiro stepped out, a weapon twisting in his grasp and the door behind him fell shut. The crowd roared with excitement and the four Paladins took an unstable step backward.

"Let the game begin," Zarkon spoke and Shiro jumped forward with a roar.

* * *

 **A/N:** Next chapter shall be longer and I don't if I know if I can say this enough – I love Voltron and thank you everyone!

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	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** Zarkon has captured Voltron along with its Paladins. Now, they're forced to fight in the Arena against a foe called Champion. It's a fight that they can only see ending in blood with the Paladins death or their leaders'.

 **Warning:** Violence, minor gore, cussing and grammar/spelling errors if I didn't catch them.

 **Word Count:** 1781

 **Disclaimer** : All hail the Netflix Gods that have brought us this beautiful show (I don't own thing)

 **A/N:** I'm sorry for the late update but I have been having a lot of problems just thinking in general. However, today I had a stroke of genius and was able to write this whole chapter in one sitting. I don't know where I'm going after this but there should be 4 to 5 chapters to this story.

* * *

Keith quickly dodged the kick as Shiro turned around, hand reaching out to strike Pidge. She knocked his metallic hand away, her bayard making sparks as purple crashed against green. Lance jumped forward, his leg extended as he attacked their leader. However, Shiro's deadpan frown twitched with boredom as he latched onto Lance's ankle with his right hand and flung the Blue Paladin across the arena. Keith felt Lance sail past him and he reached down quickly, his bayard manifested in his palm as he raised the sword above his head, slashing downward. Shiro turned his attention away from Hunk and the leaders metal arm crashed against the red sword. The two locked themselves in trembling ambition and Keith clenched his jaw together, staring at Shiro with hesitation.

"What should we do?" Hunk stuttered behind Shiro, his eyes wide in uncertainty.

Keith felt his footing break slightly as Shiro pressed deeper towards the Red Paladin. Keith pushed back, but Shiro only chuckled darkly, his eyes sparkled with glee. "We can't do anything," Keith shouted out, his voice shaking with strain.

"We can't hurt Shiro," Lance tossed his hands in front of him.

"If we don't try to stop him," Pidge snapped, "he may kill us."

Shiro's gaze quickly snapped to Pidge and behind the blood lust, Keith saw fear. Keith quickly pushed back, a roar broke past his throat and Shiro looked back at Keith. However, the leader quickly pulled back, making Keith topple forward, but Shiro ducked, his leg pushing out and sweeping underneath the Red Paladin. Keith fell backward and a second later Shiro was on top of him, his arm glowing a bright purple as he struck downward. Keith quickly shut his eyes. Yet Shiro's weight suddenly disappeared off of his chest and Keith quickly opened his eyes to find Hunk rolling away with Shiro tightly in his grasp. Lance ran forward his rifle out and trained on Shiro as their leader tried to escape out of Hunk's grasp.

"He doesn't know what he's doing," Hunk said quickly, his arms tightening over Shiros' arms and chest as he held the Black Paladin against him.

"Zarkon probably did something," Pidge muttered, her features tightening in hatred.

Keith got to his feet, his sword remained out as the three other Paladins surrounded their leader. "We have to do something," he muttered and looked up towards the crowd that surrounded them. Keith growled, "but how do we get out? They're expecting a blood bath."

"We need to wait till we see an opening," Pidge replied, her eyes scanning the arena around them. From what Keith saw, there wasn't an opening. If they tried to take Shiro captive, Zarkon would probably laugh and kill them right there. Another idea would be to get into the crowds somehow, but guards surrounded every exit of this place. Maybe if they ended this fight and one of them escaped, then they could get to their lions – but Zarkon probably had them guarded extremely well.

"They want blood."

Keith snapped out of his thoughts and everyone turned towards the rough, trembling voice that only belonged to Shiro. Keith watched the Black Paladin still in Hunks' arms, his hands tightening into fists and eyes flashing with resentment. "They ordered me to kill you," Shiro looked towards Keith and a smirk twisted Shiros' features that were once so kind and warm. "They told me to gut one of you and rip the skin off of another." Shiro snickered, his eyes closing, "They told me so many ways to kill you all. They told me to drench my home in blood," Shiro looked towards Lance, then to Pidge, his gaze settled with Keith. "Then they told me if I couldn't kill anyone, then I needed to kill myself."

"What?" Lance breathed out, his eyes widening in fear.

Shiro laughed harshly in Hunks' grip, the chuckle was twisted in dark delight and all too quickly, Shiro brought his head back and connected with Hunks' nose. The Yellow Paladin unconsciously let go of their leader who jumped to his feet, as Hunk gripped his nose that began to bleed profusely. "They don't care about this crowd," Shiro continued as he marched forward, his eyes gleaming in thrill. "They don't care about me," he placed his hand on his chest, "they just want you all to perish."

"Shiro," Keith growled, his fingers tightened menacingly around the hilt of his sword. "Snap out of it."

Lance took a step back, "Y-ya Shiro, don't you remember us?"

"Don't let them do this to you," Pidge called out.

"Shiro," Hunk muttered behind them. He sat up, right hand grasping at his nose and his left hand pushing him up, "please."

The Black Paladin stared at the group, his smirk turned downward and eyes hardening. "You all don't understand, do you?" His fists tightened and the metal hand creaked slightly, "Shiro is dead, they killed him days ago."

"W-what?" Hunk stuttered, his hand dropping from his nose and horror swam in his eyes.

Keith felt his heart still as he stared ahead, Lance reached out and unintentionally gripped on Keith's forearm, his fingers digging with distress and Lance took a step back.

Pidge growled, her eyes closing in a threatening manner as she let her bayard extend into a hook and Keith saw a tear slip past her hard features. "You're lying."

Shiro looked slowly over towards the Green Paladin and raised an eyebrow, "Don't believe me, that's fine – you all will die soon."

"If he died," Pidge snapped, "then how come you're here."

"I was always here," Shiro threw his thumb into his chest. He looked back towards Hunk and then smirked, "the Shiro you knew is dead – get over it."

Keith's eyes widened and he felt something in him snap. Rage washed over him and he felt his teeth snap together. "Bastard!" He screamed, his sword ripped forward the air around them heating as Shiro brought his hand up and blocked the attack. "Shiro can't die," Keith roared in anger, "he always comes back!"

Shiro jumped to the side as Keith shot his blade forward, intended to skew Shiro or whoever this thing was – because it wasn't Shiro. "Cry all you want," Champion snickered, "your hero isn't coming back."

Keith saw red.

Next to him Lance ran forward his rifle up and willing to shoot as many holes through this man as possible. Blue light flooded over the arena as the crowd began to boom around them in excitement, and seconds later shots were firing towards Champion that jumped back to gain some distance. The shots missed, but around Champion, dirt sprang into the air, crowding the fighter in a cloud of brown. Hunk ran forward like a freight train and jammed his shoulder into Champions chest. The fighter flew back, his head cracking against the ground and then he rolled over himself. Somehow, Pidge was above them, her eyes hard with anger and sorrow, then she shot out the grappling hook of her bayard and it twisted around Champion. Keith picked up his pace, setting his destination to attack Champions blind spot. Lance ran forward, his gun disappearing and eyes set in for a cruel blow.

However, Champion pushed against the green energized cord and quickly forced his metallic hand upwards. The cable broke, stuttering and the light quickly faded. As for the Green Paladin, she fell forward, legs out to catch herself but once she met the ground, her right leg popped and she felt it crack. Champion returned his gaze toward Lance, who's gaze was hard as steel and gleamed with anguish. He brought a fist back, mouth opening as he screamed in fury. But Champion quickly brought his hand up, catching the Blue Paladin by the throat and he squeezed.

Lance choked, his eyes widening in surprise as his hands shot up to wrap around Champions hand. He quickly squeezed his eyes and dug his fingers deep into Champions hand, pulling, yanking. His throat burned.

Behind Champion, Keith watched Lance struggle. His feet left the ground as Champion pulled him upward, metallic hand tightening around Lances' throat. Keith began to shake, his arms shaking as he felt himself fill with rage. In front of him, Keith saw nothing but an enemy – it wasn't Shiro, that thing never was. Because Shiro would never do this to them, he was too kind and selfless.

Keith screamed.

The blade sliced Champions back

Champions back arching inward, hand releasing Lance and a strangled whimper escaped his lips. Lance stepped back, his eyes wide and hands lightly surrounding his throat as he watched Champion stagger forward. The fighter took two unsteady steps forward, his body shaking with a chill and then slowly, Champion fell to his knees. Dust jumped away from him as he coughed, blood trickling down the side of his mouth. Then the man fell forward like a large tree that had just been hacked down. The crowd that surrounded them fell silent as Champion collapsed onto his chest, eyes looking as if they were clearing from an immense fog, and blood rushed out of the wound.

Seconds slowed and the world fell silent.

The crowd boomed, the arena shaking with excitement as their lust for blood had just been filled. However, the Paladins stood silent fear rushed over all of them.

"N-no…" Keith found himself shaking, the thoughts of killing Shiro plagued his mind. But he knew it wasn't Shiro – no…no it couldn't be him. It wasn't him.

Then Champion coughed, blood coating the floor. Keith looked further, watching as the fighter shivered and uncharacteristically, a tear ran out from the Champions eyes. Champion opened his mouth, breath harsh against his chest and scratching his throat. He looked upwards, vision tunneling and pain bloomed over his senses. "K…Keith?"

Keith dropped his bayard, feeling it disappear. He stepped back because that voice was sweet and kind – unlike what the Paladins had experienced before. Hunk, who was crouching next to Pidge gasped, visibly swallowed his fear. Lance was the first to run up to the fighter, his neck bright red and bruising, and he reached out, hand resting on Champions shoulder. The man looked up, warmth and kindness painting his sight as he smiled at Lance.

"Lance," Champion muttered. "What's…going on?" His breath was short, blood covering his back and like rain dripped onto the dusty floor, coving it in deep red. Champion's eyes started sagging, his breath sounding wet between each intake. "Are," the man sounded exhausted, "are you…okay?"

Lance tightened his hands into fists, his eyes quickly shut and Keith watched as the Blue Paladin openly hiccupped and tears flew from his eyes.

"Shiro?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks everyone for reviewing! Here's to season 2 getting uploaded sometime soon!

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	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:** Zarkon has captured Voltron along with its Paladins. Now, they're forced to fight in the Arena against a foe called Champion. It's a fight that they can only see ending in blood with the Paladins death or their leaders'.

 **Warning:** SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 (minor), Violence, minor gore, cussing and grammar/spelling errors if I didn't catch them.

 **Word Count:** 1583

 **Disclaimer** : All hail the Netflix Gods that have brought us this beautiful show (I don't own thing) and bless season 3

 **A/N:** What are you talking about…I haven't been gone for a year – I haven't been lazy (even if I had school). I'm not crazy, you are!

* * *

He woke to an odd sensation at first, one that made him question what crazy antics life had thrown him into now. He felt something sting his back, nothing more than a slight prickle of a bee. But as he focused, mind drifting from the shaking dirt floor, odd copper tasting spit, and distant screaming, he soon realized that the prick sensation, was nagging, pushing itself further until his back erupted. He sought to scream, craved to rush as far away from the source of pain that his body would allow; but something told him _'no'_ , a demanding voice that shook him to his core.

So, he stopped and fixated on the world, taking a deep breath in. Blood coated his throat, scratching against the air that he so desperately wanted to consume. His body rejected his action, forcing him to cough as he looked upward. His pulsating vision, one that has yet to focus on a single thing, stopped.

He found Keith.

The kid look all but pleased with life, in fact, Keith flaunted terror in his trembling features. That was something Shiro had not seen in…well, a long, long time. "K…Keith?"

A blue figure popped into view, and the next thing Shiro new was warmth pressing down on his shoulder. He resisted the urge to scream, the pressure placed was unmistakably filled with reassurance. So, he met the eyes of Lance, and yet another set of eyes were ruined with grief. "Lance?" Shiro questioned, his voice straining to come out, even less confident than he had hoped. "What's…going on?" His eyes turned away from the Blue Paladin and found, in the distance, a foggy form of yellow and green – Hunk and Pidge.

Something was wrong.

"Are you," Shiro took a breath and fought the fire scorching his back, "okay?"

"Shiro?"

He looked towards Keith. He remembered now, his team was capture, the Galra had separated them, pushing Shiro away from them, kicking and screaming – fighting. He remembers agony ripping through his head, that _damn_ witch messing with him…and then nothing. No, he had been wrong before, everything was wrong. He needed to get up, needed to help. His team was broke, by what or whom, he did not know – but they would pay.

"Shiro," Lance whispered, tears streaming down his face and dropping on Shiro's cheek.

Keith stepped forward, his footing uneven, but determined. The Red Paladin reached out, then…stopped, hand trembling.

A scream erupted behind Lance, and the three paladins looked towards the source of noise, Pidge was gripped tightly in a Galra's hold. The aliens' giant metallic fingers laced around her neck and the sharp metal fingers dug into her throat. She pushed back, her hands shoving against the fake are and her legs kicked out, attempting to strike the alien that held her above ground, even with her oddly angled ankle.

Shiro growled, the throbbing ache going to the back of his mind as he focused on trying to stand. He yelped, damn, he couldn't even lift his arms without everything hurting – but he has done this before, pushed himself past his limits and somehow still survived.

The Galra holding Pidge stepped to the side, showing Hunk passed out, blood rushing down his nose as his helmet was thrown to the side, allowing Shiro to also notice the Paladins hair was clumped together.

"Stop," Shiro forced his voice to ring throughout the arena, "Let them go!"

The Galra laughed, his hand, the one holding Pidge, elevated then slammed her into the ground, forcing a scream of agony to rip out through her mouth.

Before Shiro could think of a reaction, he saw a blur of red and the Galra being pushed back. The large metal hand unlatched around Pidge as Keith forced his sword down and forcing the Galra backward with each strike. "You want them!" Keith shouted, his voice ringing in Shiro's ears, "you'll have to go through me!"

The Galra leered, "Small fry like you should learn to listen."

Shiro screamed and Lance flew away from his side. Pain radiated from his back once more, but this time, it intensified with each beat of his heart. His vision blurred once more and his body tipped to the side. He couldn't register anything except for the fact that everything _hurt_. His name was called in the distance, forcing him to stay focused and not let pain overrun his senses. He blinked away the fog and saw his team fight as rope, that was alive and cracking against them, push them down, tying their limbs together like some animal. "Everyone…" his voice strained, breath ragged against the dirt floor. "…Stop," He watched them scream, pain shaking their limbs as they were forced to submit.

Something pressed on his back once more and he couldn't hold back his shriek.

"Submit paladins," a voice rang throughout the arena. "Your leader will parish far more if you continue to struggle."

Shiro growled, his anger topping the pain. Of course, these bastards would use him against them. He needed to help, needed to get them out of this hell hole. "-bastards…" Shiro muttered and a second later, a large purple face came into view.

The aliens' breath was horrid, one that smelled of burning flesh and rotten meat. "That means you as well, Black."

Shiro snarled, his bottom lip splitting open as he frowned and stared into the Galra's eyes. In the background he heard people yelling, fear lacing their shouts.

"Fuck you."

An electric shock forced him to cover his eyes, but he bit down on his cheek, drawing blood in the process, just to prevent the scream that wanted to spring forward. It stopped, the pain from his back seemed to slither downward to his arms and legs. His breath was erratic and unstable, pain was everywhere.

"Leave him alone," someone shouted, Lance – Shiro could place that voice anywhere. "We submit, just stop!"

Shiro caught his breath, forcing it to slow. "Lance, Keith, Pidge, Hunk!" He turned his head to the side, blood dripping down his cheek and eyes threatening to fall. "Don't stop fighting – don't let them get to yo-"

Pain again ripped through his body, however, this time, it entered through his skull racing down his back and traveling through his veins. He remembered this pain, remembered it from the dark corners of his mind. "Please no," he cried past the pain. Not again, he could only bare so much of this.

"Champion," a woman's voice slithered down his spine.

He hadn't realized he was screaming until his started wheezing, his oxygen gone, and so too, his consciousness.

* * *

Keith watched as Shiro fought to stay awake, but something ticked and then their leader was gone. The form of the Black Paladin slumped against the dirt floor, the tips of his white hair falling lightly against the ground as blood dripped from his open mouth.

The fighting spirit that once inhabited Keith was gone, leaving him to feel hallow and almost comatose.

Robots stood around them, one Galra stood about Shiro, his hand retracting with blood dripping from his fingertips. The other Paladins were silent, Hunk unconscious next to them and Pidge leaning heavily against Keith's side, all their limbs were secured behind them.

As for the crowd, the monsters that had been witnessing this event, as if it was part of a show – cheered. Keith, one who once disliked the Galra race before, now hated it – loathed the blood that ran through his veins.

"Paladins," a voice boomed throughout the arena, "your leader has fallen, your spirits – _broken_ , all hope for surviving is gone." Keith snarled, his eyes shutting as Zarkon rumbled with glee. "What will you do now, shattered Paladins of Voltron?"

Keith seethed, his anger flowing throughout his frame, he could feel his fingertips twitch with rage.

"You are going to pay for this," a voice next to him whispered. Keith looked up and met the eyes of the Blue Paladin. Never had he seen such anger radiate from Lance. Venom dripped from his mouth as Lance growled, "Zarkon! You're going to pay! You can't hide behind your army forever. We will destroy everything you know!"

The arena fell silent, then erupted in angered shouts of threats and promises. Zarkon didn't reply, only he waved his hand and the paladins were forced to their feet. Pidge and Hunk were carried as Keith and Lance struggled, watching the Galra that once stood over Shiro, pick their leader up and toss Shiro over its shoulder as if he was a rag doll.

* * *

 **A/N:** Season 3 gave me life. Undoughtily the best show I've ever witnessed with my 2 eyes. Also, I haven't written in the year that I have been gone, so sorry if things seem a little…off. Anyway, thanks for reading!

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